Firearm with electrical power source

Abstract

A firearm includes a lower receiver storing an electrical power source and an upper receiver attached to the lower receiver. A pivot pin device provides a mechanical pivot point between the upper and lower receivers and a transfer of electrical power from the electrical power source in the lower receiver to at least one accessory rail attached to the upper receiver. The at least one accessory rail has electrical contacts that engage corresponding contacts on an electronic accessory device to supply the electrical power to the electronic accessory device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A firearm comprising:
 a lower receiver storing an electrical power source; 
 an upper receiver attached to the lower receiver; and 
 a pivot pin device providing a mechanical pivot point between the upper and lower receivers, and further providing a transfer of electrical power from the electrical power source in the lower receiver to at least one accessory rail attached to the upper receiver, the at least one accessory rail having electrical contacts configured to engage corresponding contacts on an electronic accessory device to supply the electrical power to the electronic accessory device. 
 
     
     
       2. The firearm of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a socket in the lower receiver drawing the electrical power from the electrical power source, the electrical power source being housed inside a buttstock of the lower receiver; and 
 lower conductors carrying the electrical power from the socket to a receptacle in the lower receiver, the receptacle receiving a first end of the pivot pin device. 
 
     
     
       3. The firearm of  claim 2 , further comprising a channel embedded in the lower receiver for guiding the lower conductors from the socket to the receptacle. 
     
     
       4. The firearm of  claim 2 , further comprising coil contacts inside the receptacle of the lower receiver engaging electrical contacts on the first end of the pivot pin device to transfer the electrical power to the pivot pin device. 
     
     
       5. The firearm of  claim 2 , further comprising a connector port, including one or more seals, in the upper receiver receiving a second end of the pivot pin device to transfer the electrical power from the pivot pin device to the upper receiver. 
     
     
       6. The firearm of  claim 5 , further comprising upper conductors carrying the electrical power from the connector port to a conductive bus on the upper receiver, the conductive bus transferring the electrical power from the upper conductors to the at least one accessory rail. 
     
     
       7. The firearm of  claim 6 , wherein the upper conductors are housed inside a sheath extending along a length of the upper receiver. 
     
     
       8. The firearm of  claim 6 , further comprising a switch connected between the upper conductors and the at least one accessory rail, the switch being configured to disconnect the supply of the electrical power from the electrical power source to the at least one accessory rail. 
     
     
       9. The firearm of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical pivot point enables the upper and lower receivers to pivot with respect to one another from a closed position to an open position and to pivot from the open position to the closed position. 
     
     
       10. The firearm of  claim 9 , wherein the pivot pin device maintains the supply of the electrical power from the electrical power source to the at least one accessory rail when the upper and lower receivers pivot from the closed position to the open position and when the upper and lower receivers pivot from the open position to the closed position. 
     
     
       11. The firearm of  claim 9 , further comprising a tab on the lower receiver preventing removal of the pivot pin device when the upper and lower receivers are in the closed position and allowing removal of the pivot pin device when the upper and lower receivers are in the open position. 
     
     
       12. The firearm of  claim 11 , wherein removal of the pivot pin device enables the upper receiver and the lower receiver to separate from one another. 
     
     
       13. The firearm of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one accessory rail is positioned on a handguard partially surrounding a barrel of the upper receiver. 
     
     
       14. The firearm of  claim 13 , wherein a plurality of accessory rails are positioned on the handguard such that the plurality of accessory rails partially surround the barrel. 
     
     
       15. The firearm of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one accessory rail is at least partially positioned on a top portion of the upper receiver. 
     
     
       16. The firearm of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical power source includes one or more rechargeable batteries housed inside a buttstock of the lower receiver. 
     
     
       17. The firearm of  claim 1  further comprising a control module connected to the at least one accessory rail, the control module being configured to receive manual inputs for controlling the operation of the electronic accessory device when mounted to the at least one accessory rail. 
     
     
       18. An electrical system for a firearm, the electrical system comprising:
 an electrical power source; 
 a socket that draws electrical power from the electrical power source; 
 lower conductors that carry the electrical power from the socket to a receptacle for a lower receiver of the firearm; 
 a pivot pin device that transfers the electrical power from the receptacle to a connector port for an upper receiver of the firearm, the pivot pin device being configured to provide a mechanical pivot point between the upper and lower receivers of the firearm; 
 upper conductors that carry the electrical power from the connector port to a conductive bus for the upper receiver; and 
 at least one accessory rail for the upper receiver, which receives the electrical power from the conductive bus and has electrical contacts that engage corresponding contacts on an electronic accessory device to supply the electrical power to the accessory electronic accessory device. 
 
     
     
       19. The electrical system of  claim 18 , wherein the electrical power source includes one or more rechargeable batteries. 
     
     
       20. The electrical system of  claim 18 , further comprising a switch connected between the upper conductors and the at least one accessory rail, the switch being configured to disconnect the supply of the electrical power to the at least one accessory rail. 
     
     
       21. The electrical system of  claim 18 , further comprising coil contacts inside the receptacle, the coil contacts engaging first and second electrical contacts positioned on a first end of the pivot pin device to transfer the electrical power from the receptacle to the pivot pin device. 
     
     
       22. The electrical system of  claim 21 , wherein the first and second electrical contacts of the pivot pin device are axially spaced apart from one another and each have an exterior portion, wherein the exterior portion of the first electrical contact engages a first coil contact and the exterior portion of the second electrical contact engages a second coil contact inside the receptacle. 
     
     
       23. The electrical system of  claim 22 , wherein the first and second electrical contacts, wherein the first electrical contact engages a first electrical conductor and a second electrical contact engages a second electrical conductor inside the pivot pin device, and the pivot pin device further includes a plug portion insertable into the connector port to mate the electrical conductors in the pivot pin device with the upper conductors in the connector port. 
     
     
       24. The electrical system of  claim 18 , further comprising a control module connectable to the at least one accessory rail, the control module configured to receive manual inputs for controlling the electronic accessory device when both the control module and the electronic accessory device are mounted to the at least one accessory rail. 
     
     
       25. The electrical system of  claim 18 , wherein a plurality of accessory rails are attached around a handguard partially surrounding a barrel of the firearm. 
     
     
       26. The electrical system of  claim 18 , wherein the mechanical pivot point enables the upper receiver to pivot with respect to the lower receiver from a closed position to an open position and to pivot with respect to the lower receiver from the open position to the closed position, and the pivot pin device maintains the supply of the electrical power to the at least one accessory rail when the upper receiver pivots from the closed position to the open position and when the upper receiver pivots from the open position to the closed position.